The end of the curtain

?Suddenly like a spring breeze overnight, thousands of pear trees bloom.

A cool spring night breeze blows slowly, but it brings a faint fragrance of pear blossoms, which is sweet but not greasy.

I don't know when the cherry blossoms withered, and the pear blossoms ushered in the vitality again.Different from the extraordinary splendor when the cherry blossoms are dancing, the pear blossoms are simple and peaceful.

"I used to think that we were the most rigid, but now it looks like Xiaoxu." Qianji looked sideways at Sakurai who nodded silently with some surprise, obviously knowing that she couldn't persuade her to come, but she smiled knowingly Smile: "Well, you go on... I'll go first, see you next time."

Saying that, Qianji had already waved her hand to Sakurai with a smile, and Sakurai quickly put down her teacup and stood up, saying hurriedly: "It's getting late, I'll see you off." After all, Qianji is a girl, and she The place where I live is a bit remote, and it is not safe at night.

"No need, I can handle it myself, you should rest early." Qian Ji turned around with a smile, leaving only a pretty back in the snow-white pear petals falling at some point.

Sakurai stared blankly for a long time, this was the first time she was so dull-minded today.

——It's not that she doesn't want to stay with the chief executive, but that the chief executive doesn't want her to go back either.This thought can only be buried in the bottom of my heart helplessly.

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Cough cough, in fact, that night was like this.

At that time, the night was blurred and the cherry blossoms were soft.The gorgeous and deep darkness that only belongs to Kyoto covers the entire silent street, as if it will melt all the scenery quietly.

Having not worn men's clothing for a long time, Sakurai has no reason to feel unaccustomed to the relaxed feeling of losing the heavy weight of the kimono. Even the steps under his feet are much lighter, but he must have a samurai sword hanging from his waist.

Unlike women's kimonos, which are made of loose material, Taoyi can hardly hide a samurai sword of seven or eighty centimeters.

Just now he almost bumped into the Shinsengumi of the night patrol at the corner, Sakurai was still terrified even though his face was expressionless.Because she can't let them see her now, it will cause a lot of unnecessary troubles.They just treat her as dead.

Sakurai thought so decadently.

Wearing women's clothing during the day is a gentle female doctor going around to see patients, and at night it is an unidentified ronin with a samurai sword on his waist.The risk factor of her mission is not very high. It is just such a simple job as collecting information and waiting for the round, but it makes her a little confused, and she can only obey absolutely.

It's just that when performing this task, she has a bottom line set by herself, and she will never do anything that will harm the interests of the Shinsengumi, and she will never appear in front of them.

The current situation in Kyoto seems to be very stable. In fact, the shogunate has gradually begun to collapse. The feudal lords from all over the country have their own schemes. They just wait for a suitable time to set off a rebellion and achieve their own goals. ".

In the near future, in order to welcome the new dawn, Japan will complete the replacement of the times at the cost of blood and lives.

Sakurai didn't want to know the ultimate goal of Kazama and the others, because she knew very well that no matter what, Japan would carry out the "Meiji Restoration" sooner or later, to wash away the feudal ideas deeply ingrained in people's minds in society at this time, and the current shogunate's various Sooner or later, the dominance of incompetence and corruption will collapse.She can't do anything, and she can't change. The only thing she worries about is the fate of the Shinsengumi in the future.

Although the task of walking around every night was tedious and uninteresting, Sakurai finally persevered.Tonight, seeing that many people's lights have been turned off, and a curved icy moon bow is also hanging high, she is already a little tired and is not going to stay, and is going home to rest.

It was quiet everywhere, and the only lively place at this time was the famous place in Kyoto that never sleeps—Hanayanagi Street, Shimabara.

At first, Sakurai didn't know what kind of business Shimabara was in, as social women were generally not allowed to enter here.Occasionally, when Sakurai passed this place, she would hear the women's coquettish laughter from inside, which made her feel goosebumps all over her body.Especially as soon as night falls, there will be many people coming in and out here. From time to time, there will be a few women with beautiful clothes and pale make-up standing at the door with a charming smile, facing the man who greets you with a smile. I mutter... After a long time, she probably guessed what business Shimabara was in.

Isn't it, the legendary... Japanese geisha hall?

Women from good families with traditional thinking can't avoid this place, and they all blush when they mention the romantic places of fireworks girls.Sakurai, however, is an open-minded modern person. Every time she passed by with a thick skin and dressed in women's clothing, she passed by with a straight face and no expression. She had a stomach ache a few times, and she was a little curious about the internal situation of Shimabara.

But going in must cost money, especially if people know that they are women, they will definitely be slaughtered severely.For the sake of her future livelihood, she had no choice but to forcefully suppress that curiosity.

"Sakurai-san!" shouted extremely energetically, before Sakurai could react, she saw the girl with purple long hair rushing towards her excitedly, seemingly holding a wine jar in her hand ? ! !

Ayin... In Sakurai's impression, Ayin has always been a vigorous...crazy girl...

At this time they were standing not far from the gate of Shimabara, and Sakurai never thought that Ayin would appear here. Holding her sleeves, she smiled brightly without any taboo: "Come on, since we are friends, how about going out for a drink with me? Come on... come on, I suddenly discovered that Japanese sake is delicious... Uh——"

"You really just came out of Shimabara?!" Sakurai suddenly thought that his guess was correct, but Ayin scratched his hair a little drunkly, then looked at the wine jar in his hand and said in a daze : "No, I was at the izakaya just now...but the boss is going to close...then, then uh...I was kicked out..."

She seemed drunk, but Sakurai wondered if she was just pretending, but Sakurai really admired her when she smelt of alcohol as soon as she opened her mouth.He must have drank a lot of wine, but he was still able to stand so firmly.

"You... When did you have this hobby of drinking...?" Without agreeing to her, Sakurai was a little speechless and supported A Yin who was gradually becoming tottering.When Sakurai saw Ayin, she didn't think about avoiding it, because she knew very well that Ayin would know what happened to her.

"—Go, go, it's not that I'm more worried than the legendary wine. I just took a sip by accident today and thought it tasted very good...but I didn't drink enough, they, uh... drove me away It's out...you continue to drink with me..." At this moment, Ayin's beautiful deep purple eyes narrowed slightly, glowing with a blurred luster under the pale moonlight, but Sakurai felt that she looked like a A child with a tantrum.

Sakurai didn't intend to hypocritically persuade A Yin to "drink and hurt his body", because in the current situation of A Yin, he couldn't listen to anything.Seeing that Ayin's physical fitness is also quite good, it's really nothing to drink a lot.After a pause, he didn't think much, but smiled lightly, and then nodded calmly: "Okay."

...Unexpectedly, Ayin dragged her into Shimabara with a wicked smile on her face, and broke Sakurai's principle of drinking less.The two of them got drunk and quarreled with each other and set foot on the way home.Then the scene that Qianji saw appeared later.

So many things have great continuity.

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In the second year of Qingying, in May——

The cherry blossom trees in the yard are also gradually pulling out new leaves, and the beautiful and delicate pink of the cherry blossoms in the past will only be visible at this time next year.

Clusters of snow-white pear blossoms hang between the dry branches, closely connected to form a sea of ​​flowers like the waves of the river and sea, exuding vitality under the bright May sun.

Looking from a distance, the Japanese-style Japanese-style house is reflected, as if the deep and shallow lines are drawn by a brush, it is indeed as dreamy as a poem and a picture.

"Huh? It's already opened, it's so fragrant..." Qianhe stood in the corridor in a good mood, raised his face slightly, and took a deep breath in the morning air that was entwined with the fragrance of pear blossoms, with a face of comfort and coziness, " The weather is getting warmer, and Mr. Okita's illness should be much better..."

Although there was a smile on her face, there was a hint of worry.It wasn't until the sound of slow and powerful footsteps came from not far away that Qianhe came back to his senses slightly, and saw the tall Harada walking towards here.

"Hey, Qianzuru, good morning—" Harada's handsome face showed a gentle smile, Qianzuru was stunned for a while, then put his hands in front of him habitually, and smiled: "Good morning, today Are Mr. Harada and Mr. Okita patrolling together?"

"That's right, it's just that the general's cold can't be cured for so long, I think Mr. Hijikata should let him stay in the garrison to rest... But, let's have breakfast first, Chizuru."

……

Because he was walking along the road, Qianhe walked to the dining room talking and laughing with Harada along the way, but just after arriving at the dining room, he found that everyone had almost eaten, and Xin Yazheng squinted at him triumphantly. Hirasuke, who was extremely depressed, seemed to be victorious after successfully grabbing food.

Harada was a little helpless about this, and Chizuru just smiled awkwardly.If Shinpachi and Heisuke rob food so openly on weekdays and make a fuss, Mr. Hijikata will definitely be furious and reprimand, but today I don’t know if it’s because they came late, they didn’t see Mr. Hijikata.

"Gen-san, what about Mr. Hijikata?" Chizuru looked at Gensaburo Inoue, who was helping to clean up the dishes with a helpless smile. Although Inoue looked older, he was actually only a year or two older than Mr. Hijikata and Mr. Kondo. , is also the person who came out of the test hall together.

"Mr. Sui...he has gone to the head office." Inoue smiled gently at Qianzuru, and handed her another cup of hot tea. Qianzuru took it in a hurry, nodded gratefully, and continued He stared blankly at Inoue delivering tea to Harada.

——Mr. Hijikata went to Mr. Okita... What happened early in the morning...

After breakfast and cleaning the dishes, Harada, Chizuru and the team members were ready to set off for today's inspection work. Obviously, the first team members led by the general manager were also ready to wait at the door with Harada, but for a long time The chief executive did not come out.

Harada had no choice but to order the vice-captains of the two divisions to lead the other team members temporarily, and called Kamizuru to rush to the chief executive's room.

Passing through a path full of pear blossoms, the general manager's room is deliberately arranged to be a little bit closer to the inner courtyard, and the environment here is very beautiful.

For some reason, Qianzuru, who followed Harada's hasty pace, felt a little uneasy in her heart but couldn't figure out what was going on.

As soon as he stepped into the yard, Qianhe heard the intermittent coughing of the chief executive. Qianhe's heart tightened, and he was about to rush over immediately, but he heard the coughing of the chief executive stop abruptly.

"——I hate Mr. Hijikata the most!" The chief executive's tone was full of childish anger, and more of dissatisfaction, "It's too boring to stay in the room alone, or with Zuo It’s interesting to go out and inspect.”

The Tufang didn't seem to buy it, and just frowned on the general director's resentment: "I didn't have a bad cough just now, so you just go back and lie down obediently, and don't bother you about the inspection."

"No, return this sentence to Mr. Hijikata as it is." The chief executive didn't yell like a real child when he didn't like it, but put his hands on his chest and looked away with a stubborn expression.

The fox was obviously furious, but he held it back with great determination. ?